The year was 1970. Eager viewers awaited what
perhaps was one of the greatest sensations to come to ABC in soap history.
Thanks to the beautiful and talented creator and writer, Agnes Nixon, "All My
Children" was born. The ABC soap focused on unforgettable and memorable
drama in a Pennsylvania suburb, global-rising social issues and, of course, the
one and only Erica Kane, better known as Erica Kane Martin Brent Cudahy
Chandler Montgomery Montgomery Chandler Marick Marick Montgomery.

So,
how did Nixon create, produce and write a successful, 41-year soap opera she
thought would only last 26 weeks?

In
a phone interview with Nixon, she explains "All My Children" through the good -
the fabulous and happy storylines; the bad - tear-jerking scenes ending in
death and sadness; and the ugly - the cancellation of the show.

"I
never thought it would be such a long run," Nixon says. "I'm very grateful for
viewers who supported the show through all the years. I feel I had a great joy
at the relationship I had with them (the viewers)."

Where
did all the great story ideas arise: Erica wedding 10 times; Adam tying the
knot 13 times (two being Erica); Tad "the Cad" sleeping with Liza ... and her
mother; Jesse returning after 20 years of being presumed dead; and David faking
his own death, just to name a few.

"When
I was 8, I wanted to be an actress," Nixon says. "I also wanted to be a writer.
I wrote little things. I went to Northwestern University, and I was in the same
classroom with actors and actresses like Cloris Leachman. When I started to
write, I would sit in my studio and empty my mind. It would be my real world of
make believe."

From
Oprah Winfrey to Carol Burnett, "All My Children" had a great fanbase and
celebrity-based following.

The
look-back at the four-plus decades in Pine Valley started with Lucci portraying
Erica Kane, an outspoken, confident and vivacious teen.

"The
reason Erica was so popular was because I wanted to write about a teenage girl
who wasn't scared to talk back to her mother," Nixon says. "That's what made
her unique. She had spunk. I remember one scene between her and Mona (her
mother). Erica said to her, 'Mother, I think you watch way too many soap
operas!' and her response was, 'Erica, I don't have to watch soap operas.' It
was just so much fun."

There
have been many happy storylines, such as Noah and Julia's fairytale wedding,
Palmer and Opal's undeniable love connection, and scenes with Adam and Stuart.
But what perhaps is one of the show's greatest storylines is much more recent.

Dr.
"Evil" David Hayward had been doing extensive research and keeping a deep, dark
and dirty secret from Pine Valley families. He was keeping their loved ones hostage,
as they were pronounced dead. Through his miracle and "godly" work, he produced
Project Orpheus to nurse his patients back to health. Amongst these patients
was Greenlee, who died after a motorcycle accident on her wedding day; Zach,
who died in a sabotaged plane crash; Dixie, who died from poisonous pancakes;
and Pine Valley's finest, Stuart, whose twin brother, Adam, was shot dead after
a drunken night.

"Project
Orpheus was a unique way to bring old characters back," Nixon says.

"I
tried telling the stories of real people through social topics. We tried to
keep current with the daily newspaper and what's going on in the world," Nixon
says. "We created lots of stories that have helped people through their lives.
We had to do a story in a way that people would watch."

Bianca
Montgomery was another unique character. At the age of 9, she developed
anorexia and had to be hospitalized. Using her excellent acting skills, Lucci
won her first Daytime Emmy for the Bianca-anorexia story. Bianca had another
secret to reveal to her mother and loved ones in 2000: She was a lesbian. She
became the first openly gay character in a soap opera.

"I
waited two years until it could be revealed Erica's daughter is a lesbian,"
Nixon says. "At first, Erica acted like a homophobic person, but then she made the
transition to a total acceptance. I think it helped to erase prejudice about
the gay life, and to accept everyone for who they are."

And
then there was Cindy and Stuart, two star-struck lovers with unbreakable
chemistry. When Cindy contracted AIDS from then-husband, Fred, something
unusual happened: her loved ones did not leave her side when discovering she
had AIDS. If Stuart, the heart and soul of Pine Valley, could accept the woman
he loves even though she has a life-threatening disease, then why couldn't
everyone else?

"We
used the AIDS storyline to help make people understand the disease better,"
Nixon says.

JR
was affected by alcoholism for years, including when he was diagnosed with
cancer. After being sober for a while, it seemed he had it all - a loving son,
wife, successful business and beautiful house. But then everything changed. His
wife became a lesbian with Bianca, she took his son after discovering he was
once again drinking, the Chandler business went under, and the house fell into
foreclosure.

Feeling
like he lost his good fortune, JR snapped. He wanted to seek revenge on his
wife, father (Adam), mother (Dixie) and David for making him believe his first
wife was actually alive. In the finale, the last scene showed a party in
Chandler mansion where residents of Pine Valley joined together to celebrate
Stuart's return. In the meantime, JR was in a closet drinking heavily with a
gun in hand. With that, the very last shot showed JR opening fire and the scene
went black.

"JR
was depressed," Nixon says. "The ending was just like the finale from 'Dallas,'
who shot JR? And on AMC, who did JR end up shooting?"

"All
My Children" is set to resume its storytelling in January 2012, where the show
moves online. Perhaps it will answer some unanswered questions? For instance,

Who
did JR shoot? Could it possibly have been the one and only Ms. Kane?

What
will happen to Erica?

What
will be JR's fate for shooting someone?

Who
is the other patient presumed "dead" whom David has been nursing back to
health?

Will
Tad and Dixie get married ... again?

Will
Kendall and Zach really have their happy ending with Griffin entirely out of
the picture?

Will
Cara let David ("Dr. Evil") help raise her baby?

Tune
in to the online series, where familiar faces will once again be seen.

"All My
Children has enriched my life," says an appreciative and enthused Nixon. "It's
been a marvelous part of my life. I hope it goes on the Internet to Prospect
Park. If it doesn't, I'm grateful for all the happiness it brought to my life
and the viewers' lives. It's truly a gift."

And
as Nixon said on "The View" and again in this interview, "After all, they are
all my children."

Congratulations
to Nixon, Lorraine Broderick and the other writers who helped make "All My
Children" a successful and wonderful 41 years in business.

•Following
this interview, it was announced that production company Prospect Park would,
indeed, air new episodes of "All My Children" in 2012 via The Online Network.